# Why Habanos?



## HardHeaded (Nov 6, 2013)

So in an effort to spark some conversation on this side of the forum, Why Habanos? What made you start smoking cc vs nc? Do you still smoke both? If not, why one strictly over the other? Is it just a taste preference or is there something more to it? If you were new to cigars when you had your first cc did you even know it was a cc without someone else telling you? I know I couldn't tell one type from another just by sight or smoke, so how did you learn the difference?

I know the answers to some of these can be summed up with it just tastes different or you just learn after a while. What i'm looking for is something a bit more unique to you. Kinda like the hobby, nickname or other information threads that pop up from time to time.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

I smoke Cc because they are cheaper and fit my palate better than non cubans sticks.


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## tmoran (Mar 25, 2014)

Let me preface this post by saying I have only smoked 2 cc's, but I do have a bunch of them in waiting. My collection is probably 2/3 NC and 1/3 CC. 

I started buying CC's because I love trying different cigars. I only smoke one or two cigars a week, but probably 9/10 are new to me. Also, I mostly prefer coronas, petite coronas, lonsdales, etc, and there are a ton of CC's in those vitolas. 

I don't see myself every going with strictly CC or NC. Like I said, I love trying new stuff, whether it is CC or NC. I like the CC flavor profile, but I also like many NC flavor profiles. Since I have only had a couple CC's, I don't think I would be able to definitively identify a CC by taste alone. Maybe if I got a good look at the cigar and then smoked it. I've never tried, so I have no idea, TBH.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

I was gifted some aged Cuban cigars in different bombs, passes, etc and fell in love with the flavor profile. Pepper and spice is okay some of the time but there's a whole other profile with Cuban's. 
From there I discovered that Cuban's are cheaper per stick then some premium non-Cubans that I enjoyed. 

I still enjoy non-Cubans and have quite a few but the majority of my purchases are Cuban now.


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## Lrbergin (Jun 14, 2012)

First Cuban I smoked was a gift from Shuckins. It was an Epicure #2 and being relatively new to cigars and smoking noob stuff that everybody recommends, it was night and day difference. Finally understood what twang was knew I had to have more. That is what got me going and after hanging around for a while and making friends with some BOTLS I started buying mostly Cubans. For the money, I don't think you can buy a better cigar than a Cuban robusto.

That said, I don't ever see me ever being a strictly Habanos guy. I like the variety of the NC side. Sometimes the spice of a well aged Opus just can't be beat. Cigars are a very personal thing in that everybody's tastes are different though so just make yourself happy and enjoy what you smoke.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

I just like doing things I'm told not to, so this was a logical progression for me.:roll:

Luckily, a lot of guys on this side will say that NC is a waste after you make the switch, so I have to keep smoking them as well in order to remain obstinate.:nod: 

Also, the "Twang" you find in some CCs makes my brain sing :sing:


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## Merovius (Sep 11, 2013)

*Why Habanos? *

Curiosity, but really I blame Puff for getting me started and keeping me going with passes and trades on some exceptional cigars.

*Do you still smoke both? *

Still smoke both, as an example I had a custom Carlos Fernandez yesterday during lunch and a Tatuaje TAA 2014 after dinner. The Carlos was ok, the Tat was excellent. ~500/450 NC to CC is the current count, the CCs caught up quick. I attribute that to the fact that Im trying to acquire boxes quickly for aging. The best Habanos Ive had were rested for 4-6 yrs.

*Is it just a taste preference or is there something more to it? *

Habanos offer something unique, most people know it immediately. I really like the variety. Everyone is different and I hang out with plenty of FOGs at the B&M that are pleased as punch to smoke the same cigar everyday. I love OpusX, Padron and Montecristo but if I had to smoke one of those for the rest of my life Id be bored. As far as something more to it, the allure of smoking contraband does add to the experience, especially when sharing them with friends. When Im smoking by myself not so much. It was there initially but after going through a few hundred CCs the allure of smoking contraband is not as exciting. Firing up an aged CC is still exciting though.

*If you were new to cigars when you had your first cc did you even know it was a cc without someone else telling you? *

I ordered my first CC online, so I knew what I was getting. It was a sopping wet Siglo I, and even though it was nearly unsmokable I knew right away it was different.


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## jp1979 (Sep 12, 2013)

@Merovius , I am stealing your format.

Why Habanos? 

Because I am not suppose to have them and curiousity.

Do you still smoke both? 

I do. My stash is probably 80% NC and 20% CC. I will probably never switch completely to one side or the other.

Is it just a taste preference or is there something more to it? 

They are both good but very different than each other. Sometimes I am in the mood for a D.Pepin spice bomb, sometimes I want twangy CC.

If you were new to cigars when you had your first cc did you even know it was a cc without someone else telling you? 

My first CC order was some JLP Cazadores and Quintero Brevas. Mainly to test the vendor and to see what they were about without busting the bank. Smoked half of each box, ordered other more expensive stuff and forgot about them, every once in a while I grab one of the $2 Cubans and cant help but think that they are way better than any $2 NC I have ever had.


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## john_007 (Nov 4, 2011)

Why Cuban cigars?

Well i guess i wanted to try something i felt was very exclusive, you grow up your whole life feeling like Cuban cigars are the best. I remember that episode of Seinfeld when

Kramer brought in those Cuban guys to roll cigars but they were Dominican and couldn't roll cigars. Why wouldn't I want to try the, and on this side people really have a passion 

for Cuban cigars that made me feel like there must be something to this CC thing. I got really fed up with the marketing of NC cigars I felt like put it in a Special box and charge 

twenty buck, I would go to my local B&M and would always ask him to recommend something it was always a montecristo platinum for around 20 that tasted like hot garbage. As 

\a younger cigar enthusiast (27) I felt like B&M owners would try and take advantage of me because of my age even though I probably knew more about cigars then them. I 

think there is something romantic about Cuban cigars the old world charm, NC are so proud of their state of the art factories but I like the old school ways wherever possible I might get a bad draw here and their but its worth it.

Do you still smoke both?

No, i have maybe 10 NC i keep around for well why would i throw them out. I do have a shark I will smoke at some point but trying to put some age on it so i can judge accordingly.

Is it taste alone?

No taste is most of it, flavor are more subtle and need time to fully mature, its not and boom in your face one flavor for 60min experience. It works for me.

Did you know it was a CC?

Yes as i orders them online. haven't gone back since.


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## Bernardini (Nov 14, 2013)

Why Habanos?

Curiosity at first. I heard so much about them that I wanted in on the fun. I still smoke both (70% NC, 30% CC in stash now) and see myself as always continuing to do so. Both flavor profiles are so different, and similar to Justin and Tyler, I like the variety. However, I do see myself having a majority of CC's as time goes on as I slowly try to build an aged rotation.


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## JustinThyme (Jun 17, 2013)

Same as why NC. Adds another choice to the variety.


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## cakeanddottle (Mar 14, 2011)

every CC I've smoked, which isn't many yet, was right up there with the very best Nicaraguans and Dominicans I've smoked. The best CCs I've smoked were in a whole different league. 

I am very very fond of Casa Fernandez' Aganorsa Nicaraguan tobacco, and I will continue to enjoy all the Nicaraguan puros I've already been loading up on that use it, and will continue to buy them going forward. Other than that, I do feel that the majority of my future purchases will be CC, because I think the tobacco is more complex and tastier than almost all of the tobacco grown in Central America. The humble ERdM hermoso I smoked last night puts almost all NC sticks costing much more to shame. IMO.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

I can't imagine another initial cause other than "curiosity". In my case, I didn't have to seek it out, my first one was just handed to me. I had been mildly curious about them, but really hadn't been bitten by any sort of bug, or compulsion. I hadn't been smoking all that long and hadn't smoked that many total cigars, but in my case, my first one was pretty spectacular. Mind, this was back in the 80's before all the tragedies struck the Cuban cigar industry, so the tobacco was likely about as good as it ever got. In addition, it had been well aged and well cared for, by a guy who knew what he was doing.

Another factor in it's favor was certainly the fact that non-Cubans were no where near what they are today. The cigar boom was still more than a decade away and there were only a handful of examples, other than the refugee rip-offs. Fuente pretty much had the premium market to themselves.

Now, I suppose I smoke them because they tend to be about the best, most flavorful mild offering out there. With non-Cubans, mild tends to be a byword for bland. Not so, the Cuban. Sure, I'll admit that the Cubans don't think they're mild, nor are they out to make a mild cigar. It's just that they haven't gone out of their way to manipulate the tobaccos solely on the basis of strength, which the non makers definitely have.

So, I get to enjoy an easy-to-smoke cigar, filled with character and complexity that I simply don't get from a non-Cuban of comparable profile. I still smoke NC about 1/3 of the time and still enjoy them very much. I have my pet brands that I invariably go for and am very happy with.

That thought brings me to my final bit of reasoning. Cubans are just "easy". I don't have to think about what to buy a whole lot. They're similar enough in flavor and profile that my purchases are as much about vitola, price, age and availability, as brand. After all, they're all made of tobaccos grown in virtually the same way and from within a league's distance, so you just don't see the massive differences you get from even two non-Cuban cigars grown and rolled within 100 miles of one another.


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## protekk (Oct 18, 2010)

Why Habanos? 
Why not? I was trying everything I could at one point so trying havanas was a natural progression
What made you start smoking cc vs nc? 
I have a humidor full of Nics and dominicans but when the weather is nice I always reach for a havana. With winter on its way that may change.
Do you still smoke both? 
Kind of....I smoke way more havanas than NC's.
If you were new to cigars when you had your first cc did you even know it was a cc without someone else telling you? 
I bought a monte 4 petaca in a shop in spain so I knew they were havanas
What i'm looking for is something a bit more unique to you. Kinda like the hobby, nickname or other information threads that pop up from time to time.
I just do not enjoy the spice and strength often associated with NC's. On the contrary I love the nuance and flavors that are unique to fine havanas. I also hated "chasing" all the NC's that could be had. With cubans there are fewer choices and less searching for the latest and greatest


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

john_007 said:


> Why Cuban cigars?
> 
> Well i guess i wanted to try something i felt was very exclusive, you grow up your whole life feeling like Cuban cigars are the best. I remember that episode of Seinfeld when
> 
> ...


_THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GIVE THIS MAN A SEEGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great post bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


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## Trackmyer (Jun 6, 2014)

Been smoking NC's for going on my 20th year. Less than a year for CC's and I am happy to be able to smoke both. The range of flavors with NC's are splendid. And you can smoke what you are in the mood for be it creamy, or spicy, or make your toes curl strong. CC's are different, to me they are more similar between brands. With fine, subtle changes between them. I do love CC's and often ponder mid cigar if I would have been better off if I never tried one. Then quickly snap back to reality and realize thats just crazy thinking. As I first read the phrase "Cuban Twang" by Tony B. it truly is the best description I could come up with. And that twang is dang addicting. Such a wonderful change from the realm of NC flavors.

Currently sitting on a solid 80/20 NC/CC and that percentage is creeping towards 75/25. I cant see myself giving up my NC's just because of the variety. But man a good CC really is unmatched.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

I smoke regular production Havanas with age, and fresh custom rolls.

I smoke them because I love cigars, and can smoke anything I want, within reason.

I try NCs from time to time. I find Padrons to be beautiful, perfectly rolled and rich.

But the aged Havanas and customs are simply better to me.

I've got a bundle of Carlos Fernandez Behikes with 1/2 extra ligero leaf coming right now.

Really, where else can you talk to the shop and order exactly what you want rolled?


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

bpegler said:


> I smoke regular production Havanas with age, and fresh custom rolls.
> 
> I smoke them because I love cigars, and can smoke anything I want, within reason.
> 
> ...


You're just damn lucky there isn't anything in the rules mentioning wanton hedonism, Bob. You'd be banned for this.

Not to mention the very tall glass of water you now owe me for causing this hypersalivation. Bastidge!


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## Trackmyer (Jun 6, 2014)

bpegler said:


> I smoke regular production Havanas with age, and fresh custom rolls.
> 
> I smoke them because I love cigars, and can smoke anything I want, within reason.
> 
> ...


Wow, just wow...

O.K., I changed my mind. I want to be this guy ^^^


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## john_007 (Nov 4, 2011)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> _THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> GIVE THIS MAN A SEEGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Great post bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


Thanks tony, you know what they say... great minds and all.:cowboyic9:


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## Booyaa (Nov 6, 2010)

I started smoking habanos mainly because there was no other option.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Why Not?


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## dvickery (Jan 1, 2000)

my dad smoked monty's ... so when i was 15 and snitched one of his cigars it was an habano ... famliarity after that i suppose .

derrek


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## stltimmy1979 (Nov 1, 2013)

asmartbull said:


> Why Not?


Because they are illegal.

Sarcasm doesn't work over the internet! ;-) I was going to state the same, or just ask why NCs? All about personal preference just glad we have a bit of disposable income to enjoy our hobby!

Great weekend to all, Tim.


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

Why Habanos? 

Curiosity. I always smoked and loved NCs, and in the back of my mind one day I wanted to try a Cuban because of all I'd heard about them. In 2012, I came to this side of the forum. Shortly after I befriended some BOTLs here and was bombed by them. I enjoyed them-I wasn't floored by them-but I enjoyed them. Looking back I believe it takes an adjustment for your palate to appreciate them because they're more nuanced than in your face. 2 years, 2 coolers, and some $ later I have some that I enjoy and more that I love.

Do you still smoke both? 

Yes and I think I always will. This is my preference. There are things I cant get from NCs. Besides the unique Cuban flavor profile-as Don mentioned-Cubans do mild and full of flavor like no other country IMO. Likewise, there are things I cant get from Cubans. I smoking an Los Blancos Nine now that is strong yet restrained and full of cocoa and coffee. Nothing like it on the other side (its kinda Monte like I guess). But there is nothing NC like any Cuban.....so i still smoke and love both.

If you were new to cigars when you had your first cc did you even know it was a cc without someone else telling you? 

Well i knew because I was bombed. I would have known it was non Cuban due to the "twang" in them. But I couldn't have identified them as Cuban.

What i'm looking for is something a bit more unique to you. Kinda like the hobby, nickname or other information threads that pop up from time to time.

I love cigars and Cubans are a big part of that enjoyment (more buying than smoking at the moment). My hobby would be incomplete without them. One thing I love about them is there isnt a 1,000 different brands. It doesnt take long to get a general idea for the Marcas and what you like. I'm still exploring and learning (REs, Customs, etc.)...but its not overwhelming like with Non Cubans and the garbage marketing. I have my go to cigars of about 20 different ones, I could cut the list down to 10 and be happy smoking those from now on.

Great thread!


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## thegunslinger (Aug 3, 2012)

HardHeaded said:


> Why Habanos? What made you start smoking cc vs nc?


At first it was simply the mystique and curiosity. You want to experience what you can't have. I was in Canada and bought a Bolivar and instantly knew I had to try more. But as I've smoked them for several years now, it's no longer about the mystique but enjoying the unique flavor profile a Cuban offers.



> Do you still smoke both? If not, why one strictly over the other?


I smoke both. Sometimes I want the smooth and twangy profile of a Cuban, sometimes I want the pepper kick of a Nicaraguan Tatuaje, sometimes I'm just at the local B&M and I pick up something to smoke in the moment. Cuban's are certainly my preferred smoke most of the time but I don't always want one. I'd say it's 70/30 in favor of a Cuban.



> If you were new to cigars when you had your first cc did you even know it was a cc without someone else telling you? I know I couldn't tell one type from another just by sight or smoke, so how did you learn the difference?


I had been smoking cigars a number of years and purchased my first Cuban from a store in Canada. So I knew what I was smoking.


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## UTKhodgy (Jan 4, 2012)

Taste


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## Entropydave (Aug 26, 2014)

I've not tried any CCs since starting the hobby.... I have to ask.. how does one get them?! Not too easy to find here in Fort Wayne's B&Ms!


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## dvickery (Jan 1, 2000)

Entropydave said:


> I've not tried any CCs since starting the hobby.... I have to ask.. how does one get them?! Not too easy to find here in Fort Wayne's B&Ms!


dave i get all my cigars in havana .

derrek


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## OnePyroTec (Dec 11, 1997)

Derrek, you still are my hero ya know. 

I fall into the group as the CC's are the best bang for the buck is why I smoke them. Back in the 90's during the "boom" there were tons of Don Nobody cigars on the market, "good" cigars were hard to find at the B&M's and when you did it was supply and demand pricing. My Aunt is/was a heavy traveler to Europe & Asia so she made arrangements for me. Since she already did it for several of her customers, it was no big deal to add me to the rotation.


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## [email protected] (Aug 16, 2012)

Got one gifted to me, beautiful taste flavor strength etc. allure of course. Price hands down best, delivery marvelous......done here. The nc I enjoy cost 3 times the price of cubes I enjoy. Easy choice.


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## Ethernomad (Aug 23, 2013)

A lot of you listed price as a reason for smoking CCs. My only inkling to CC pricing is by way of peeking at non-CONUS B&M websites and reading CA magazine ratings and reviews. I have always maintained the impression that CCs were prohibitively expensive (several hundred $$$/box). Is that price range what you all are calling cheap, or have I only been seeing the price of gas next to the interstate?


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Ethernomad said:


> A lot of you listed price as a reason for smoking CCs. My only inkling to CC pricing is by way of peeking at non-CONUS B&M websites and reading CA magazine ratings and reviews. I have always maintained the impression that CCs were prohibitively expensive (several hundred $$$/box). Is that price range what you all are calling cheap, or have I only been seeing the price of gas next to the interstate?


Montecristo #2 , Partagas Serie D #4 , and most non Cohiba Havanas well under $10 a stick.

The prices often quoted are in British pounds. England has brutal taxes.


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## Ethernomad (Aug 23, 2013)

bpegler said:


> England has brutal taxes.


Taxes! I didn't think about that. Very interesting. And Cohiba's have a brand name tax built; sort of like Opus X, etc?


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

No, Cohibas generally just cost more. Havanas' premium brand.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

bpegler said:


> No, Cohibas generally just cost more. Havanas' premium brand.


As with all things Habanos, WHAT HE SAID. :thumb:

It's so nice to have a guy who's forgotten more about a topic than all the rest of us combined will likely ever know... unless of course, HE tells us! LOL!

Having lived there, I can certainly underscore this. The list of taxes in UK cannot be listed in totality, due to bandwidth restrictions. Excise duty, tobacco tax, tobacco duty and, worst of them all, the truly evil Value Added Tax, are killers, no matter what, or how you buy. Whether you're there, or ordering from there, you are a member of the 19% of the working, taxable population, who have to pay to support the 69% who are not.

Add that to what Bob said about Cohiba being HSA's premium marca and only then can you begin to understand why a Behike 56 costs $100 over there. Even in rare cases, they pay in pounds what we pay in dollars. So, if a car costs $70k here, it will likely cost you £70k , if not more.


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## Ethernomad (Aug 23, 2013)

Mental note; don't buy from UK :mrgreen:


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## OnePyroTec (Dec 11, 1997)

Ethernomad said:


> Mental note; don't buy from UK :mrgreen:


unless of course you can't live without a UK Regional


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## Entropydave (Aug 26, 2014)

As a Brit, I can tell you that the prices there are crazy - my son paid £19 for a single R&J for my dad for Xmas... crazy I tell you.


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## Aithos (Jul 13, 2014)

Herf N Turf said:


> As with all things Habanos, WHAT HE SAID. :thumb:
> 
> It's so nice to have a guy who's forgotten more about a topic than all the rest of us combined will likely ever know... unless of course, HE tells us! LOL!
> 
> ...


When I went to England for a class I remember packing a carton of cigarettes (I was a smoker still when I went in 2007) and I was warned they were really expensive. I was also told to pick up a pack of Silk Cuts if I had a chance, so I did and they were about 7-10 Pounds a pack, which at that time was just shy of $25 a pack on the higher end. It was crazy, we still had $4-5 smokes here, I couldn't imagine how anyone could afford to smoke there...


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Entropydave said:


> As a Brit, I can tell you that the prices there are crazy - my son paid £19 for a single R&J for my dad for Xmas... crazy I tell you.





Aithos said:


> When I went to England for a class I remember packing a carton of cigarettes (I was a smoker still when I went in 2007) and I was warned they were really expensive. I was also told to pick up a pack of Silk Cuts if I had a chance, so I did and they were about 7-10 Pounds a pack, which at that time was just shy of $25 a pack on the higher end. It was crazy, we still had $4-5 smokes here, I couldn't imagine how anyone could afford to smoke there...


I bet Dave will underscore this, they don't. The "gray market" in the UK is the most thriving consumer industry they have over there. No one out of the top 10 percenters smoke commercially produced cigarettes. They RYO and even do that with stuff they smuggle from Holland on the ferries. People will go over there with a Ford Transit and literally fill the thing, take the risk and the slap on the wrists if they get it wrong. The weekly "markets" long a tradition throughout England are now reduced mostly to pirated this and knock off that and tons of stuff bought abroad - smuggled in - to avoid taxes.

I myself played around with Levi's jeans. I'd have a friend buy them here and send them over to me. He bought them super-cheap to begin with, so it was rare not to at least triple my money. I liked to go pub-hopping all over the North and Midlands, but drove a Range Rover. The Levi's paid for my petrol - hundred quid to fill her up - and several good pub meals chased down by several good pub beers


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## Skeat5353 (Mar 15, 2014)

I've been smoking cigars for a year now. I've tasted over two hundred different brands in that time. I finally got my hands on some CCs through an old boarding school buddy who now lives in Argentina. He sent me some Bolivar Junior Coronas with factory stamp from 2011. I let them sit in the humidor for 9 months (insane personal restraint and discipline, lol!!!). I smoked one on New Year's Eve with an Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch. I looked at the little Bolivar Corona Junior and laughed. This little dinky thing is a cigar? The first third absolutely floored me. I felt like I was floating through the universe. I thought maybe the cigar was laced with trace amounts of heroin, lol. The rush of nicotine was blissful. Complimented by the Islay, a supreme warm feeling of relaxation spread from my toes to my frontal lobe. My girlfriend asked if I was okay. The flavors were majestic. I thought to myself, 'This tastes like I'm smoking a graham cracker covered in Godiva chocolate.' The pure volume of smoke from that little bastard was insane. It burned slow too. By the last third, I didn't want to move. I imagined I was walking along the Malecon after a nice steak dinner at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. No Dominican or Nicaraguan has ever floored me with pure nicotine power like that. Perhaps that's the difference.


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